An Indian Fabric Fashion Show and silent auction will take place at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the Wyoming Union Ballroom in order to raise funds for the University of Wyoming’s “Keep Girls in School Project.” 
“Keep Girls in School Project” is a group that raises awareness about issues, such as son preference, that children face in Andhra Pradesh, India as well as solutions implemented in that area.
“Aarti Home provides a place where parents that are impoverished and can not care for a fourth or fifth child can drop off their child to be cared for with food, shelter and a quality education so the child has a much brighter future.” Bonnie Zare, a women’s studies professor for UW, said.
Adults and children are helped by Aarti Home in order to start a solution at the source.
“Simply helping 100 children didn’t change the mindsets of people about how girls can be earners and learners,” Zare said. “Aarti Home is turning these women who are illiterate into income generators, who then start to slowly get a different status in the society and within the family.”
Zare selected two types of fabric while on her most recent research trip to Andhra Pradesh, brought them back to Laramie, and distributed them throughout the community to artists who signed up to participate in this contest.
Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place as well as a people’s choice award.
23 local artists created pieces that will be shown in all forms including clothing, wall hangings and quilts.
“This is an exciting way to showcase local talent and have a good time, enjoy Indian fashion and be dazzled by the many creations that can come out of the exact same color and texture of fabric,” Zare said.
Along with the silent auction of the pieces there will be a raffle of items created by the adults from the Aarti Home training center.
“Over the past two years we have raised $17,000 for this home, which means that one year we helped them finish building the school and the next year the donation from the University of Wyoming allowed 22 new children to be housed there,” Zare said.
All of the donations from this event go directly to Aarti Home.
“One American dollar there keeps a boy or girl in school, well feed, and housed for a whole day and evening,” Zare said. “Literally, the spare coins behind your bed could help someone.”
There will also be an 8 p.m. film showing of “Namastey London,” Zare described the film as a “great romantic story and interesting illustration of how inter-generational and cross-cultural conflicts can be solved.”
